After many false starts, electric car sales are finally pulling out into the fast lane. The global fleet doubled to 1.3 million last year, battery costs are falling, and mainstream manufacturers now scrambling to introduce new models. This good news comes not a moment too soon.

There has always been something Churchillian about VW's logo, it looks more like a gesture of contempt rather than a shiny badge of honour, making it easy to lack sympathy for a company whose emissions have come home to roost...

There is a savage irony for the advertising industry in the crash of the VW brand. Of all car manufacturer brands VW was the one with the greatest advertising legacy, dating back to the now iconic ads produced by the DDB advertising agency, under the leadership of the legendary Bill Bernbach.

The global climate change negotiations are coming to a close in Lima, Peru, and we have edged ever so slightly closer to a climate deal. In the coming days, commentators will (as usual) be divided over whether it was a success, whether negotiators did enough to prepare the ground for the next conference...

The majority of car journeys are made by just one passenger; a hugely inefficient way to get around. It is expected that the future of (powered) urban transport will be in much smaller personal vehicles, and will encourage the use of more semi-autonomous transport systems.

To understand why the EU is putting a price on polluting emissions through the Emission Trading System (ETS), you first have to understand what economists call negative externalities, that is when you reap benefits individually, but pay the price collectively.